LIVER: UNDERRATED, OFTEN OVERCOOKED

By ROBERT FARRAR CAPON

Published: March 6, 1985

LIKE a talented performer suffering from bad press, liver has a hard time landing a starring role in many kitchens. Being organ tissue, not muscle, it has a flavor. Above all, it has texture - one that does not immediately appeal to diners with less than catholic tastes. Its appeal is further diminished by the way cooks generally serve it: even a certified liver fancier must struggle to down the dry, overcooked preparations that are so sadly commonplace. The result is a small- scale food scandal.

Liver is high in cholesterol: three ounces of beef liver contain 375 milligrams of cholesterol. That is why people should not eat liver more than once a week; people with cholesterol problems should not eat it at all. (The liver also will contain in concentrated form whatever toxic substances have accumulated in an animal's body in the course of its life.)

Liver, however, is low in fat, and it offers a wide range of health benefits to those who do not have cholesterol problems. Three ounces of beef liver, for example, contain only about 195 calories but provide more than the recommended daily adult intake of vitamin A, riboflavin and niacin and more than 50 percent of the recommended daily amounts of protein and phosphorus.

Three ounces of beef or chicken liver provide about 40 percent of an adult's recommended daily intake of iron, and calf's liver about 60 percent; pork liver provides close to 100 percent. Chicken liver is a special bargain: nutritionally, it rates just about as well as beef liver but at two- thirds the price.

If liver is to be sauteed, it should be purchased fresh, not frozen, since freezing breaks down the tissue and can make the finished dish a bit mushy. However, frozen liver, calf or beef, is perfectly acceptable for recipes that involve grinding up the meat. Chicken and pork liver are almost always sold fresh. Pork liver may be hard to find in the supermarket, but it is worth a trip to the pork butchers or Italian butchers who carry it.

The first recipe listed here is a version of fegato alla veneziana - nothing more, really, than fried liver and onions. This is a simple method of preparation, but as with many other simple techniques, should be carefully executed.

Pieces of liver destined for the frying pan should be trimmed of all vessels and membranes. One of liver's delights is its tenderness: there is no reason to present it tough parts and all. Just before being put into the pan, the liver should be dusted lightly with flour, since unfloured liver gives up too much of its moisture in cooking.

It is particularly important that liver - especially if it is sliced thin - should be cooked only briefly and in a hot pan, preferably with clarified butter. It is advisable to remove liver from the pan while it is still underdone in the center: what little cooking it will still need to bring it to rare pinkness can be provided by reheating it briefly in the pan gravy or garnish that is being prepared as an accompaniment.

The pan gravy from liver is improved by the addition of highly reduced stock. Meat glaze, or glace de viande, works very nicely, although a half cup of strong beef or chicken stock, boiled away to almost nothing, will produce a similar result. Chopped shallots or onion and/or a splash of dry wine or Cognac - plus a swirl of fresh butter or cream at the end - never do fried liver any harm.

The second recipe, chicken livers in a sauce, can be served over rice or pasta. It was originally developed as a showcase for the Italian pork butcher's specialty, fegatelli con la rete, thumb-size pieces of pork liver wrapped, together with a bay leaf, in caul fat.

The word rete, or net, suggests the lacy veins of fat in the caul, or mesentery. If they can be found, pork liver wrapped in caul fat should be used in place of the chicken livers.

Fegato Alla Veneziana (Liver with onions and vinegar)

1

pound fresh calf's liver

2

to 4 tablespoons butter, as de

sired

2

large Spanish onions, sliced

lengthwise into thin strips

Salt and pepper, as desired

1

tablespoon vinegar, or as de

sired

Flour for dredging, seasoned

with salt and pepper

2

to 4 tablespoons clarified butter

for frying

2

tablespoons chopped parsley.

1.*Trim liver of veins and membranes. Cut on the diagonal into wide, 1/4-inch slices.

2.*Melt the butter in a large skillet. Fry the onions in the butter over medium heat, stirring often, until nicely browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper and vinegar. Set aside.

3.*Dredge liver pieces with seasoned flour, and shake off excess. In a second large skillet, melt the clarified butter over high heat, and when very hot, drop in the liver pieces, a few at a time. Fry 30 seconds or so on each side. Remove to a serving dish. Liver should still be raw in the center.

4.*When all liver pieces have been fried, place the onions in the skillet containing the liver juices and reheat the onions thoroughly, stirring often. Add the liver to the onions, toss briefly to heat through, and turn out onto the serving dish. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Yield: 3 servings.

Chicken-Liver Sauce for Pasta or Rice

1

pound chicken livers, halved

and trimmed

2

to 4 tablespoons clarified butter

for frying, more if needed

2

large shallots, chopped

6

ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced

2

tablespoons Cognac

1/4

cup dry white wine

1

tablespoon meat glaze, or highly

reduced stock, as desired

1/2

cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper, as desired

2

tablespoons chopped parsley.

1.*Saute chicken livers in a large skillet, using very hot clarified butter. Cook livers in small batches, and remove each to a serving dish before the centers are cooked through.

2.*Add shallots, mushrooms and, if needed, more butter to skillet, and saute 3 to 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add Cognac and wine, and boil until almost completely evaporated. Add meat glaze and cream, and return to a boil, reducing the mixture to a saucelike consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Return livers to the skillet to finish cooking briefly. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve with rice or pasta.